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Cloupor GT 80W Dual 18650 VV/VW/TC Box Mod
The Cloupor GT 80W Dual 18650 VV/VW/TC Temperature Control Box Mod is smaller, lighter and smart. The Cloupor GT Temp Control 80W Box Mod is also very affordable at less than $60.
Because this is our first official Cloupor product review I decided to send one to Tom McBride, he’s living back in New Hampshire now, and I asked him to review it with me, just to see if we were both in agreement or not, and where we might differ. The combined review, below, should give you a pretty good look at what is probably the least expensive ‘temperature control’ 80w vaporizer on the market. Ave40 is selling the GT for just $49.99 when you use the coupon code SPINFUEL10 during checkout. They also offer FREE shipping to us consumer types 🙂
Smaller, Lighter, More Capable?
The Cloupor GT has a compact size of a just 2.08 inches and .8-inches deep. Yet, the device accommodates two 2600mAh
30amp+ 18650 batteries, sealed with a magnetic battery cover. The magnetic battery door seems to be catching on as the preferred method with several manufactures, making it easier and faster to change out batteries. I did notice a slight movement of the battery cover during normal use with my Cloupor GT, while Tom did not. I hold the box mod with my thumb placed against the battery door and I’m sure this is the reason why it moves.
I understand that Cloupor is releasing a silicon sleeve for the GT to further protect the device and to make sure the magnetic battery cover stays put. I highly recommend it.
Overall, the Cloupor GT is well machined using high precision 6061 Billet aluminum, which makes it a very light device of just 3.8 ounces (without the batteries). Other than the slight movement of the battery cover I have no complaints with the device as of now.
The Cloupor GT is available in 3 colors, black, silver, and gold, and the one I have is the black aluminum body with rounded edges for a smooth comfortable grip.
The top of the device features only one thing, the 510-connector and floating Pin. It is placed in a position that allows all 22mm tanks to sit flush with the body. Anything more than 22mm will protrude from the edge.
On the “face” of the Cloupor GT, starting at the top, you’ll see an attractive, firm, responsive firing button made of aluminum. Further down is the LED display with the usual assortment of information, under the display are the plus and minus buttons. Logical, simple, effective…
On the front side of the Cloupor GT is the words Cloupor near the top and the letters GT near the bottom. The vaporizer is modest in design, but effective and simple to operate. I applaud Cloupor’s approach to making the GT, well, approachable.
Venting – Despite being a dual-18650 battery device I cannot find a single vent hole anywhere on it. The battery cover implies complete coverage with hundreds of make-believe vent holes but those they are really just decorative indentions on the cover plate, they do not go through the cover to provide venting for the batteries.
Does the lack of venting matter? I have to believe that it does, especially when the device sports two 18650 batteries. Why the Cloupor GT lacks venting somewhere on the device is something I just can’t wrap my head around it. That said, so far the GT has felt cool to the touch every time I’ve used it, so perhaps it handles whatever throw-off heat there is without a problem.
Warranty?
Cloupor’s warranty card for the GT 80w is the first thing you’ll notice when your vaporizer arrives. Under the shrink-wrap is a credit card size plastic VIP card that represents, I think, the warranty number. Finding out the details about their warranty, however, was impossible.
The plastic credit card size VIP card didn’t have any text printed on it to explain the warranty, nor did the Cloupor website, and even a Google search for “Cloupor Warranty Details” came up empty. I asked Dave to post on reddit to see if anyone there might have the details about a Cloupor Warranty and at the time we published this review we still don’t have any information other than a couple of statements on Cloupor’s website that indicates a free swap out if your GT needs to be replaced or repaired, but no details whatsoever on where it needs to be sent, how long it takes to receive the swap out, who picks up the shipping, what’s covered and what’s not covered, and for how long. It was very frustrating.
My best advice is that if you decide to pick up a Cloupor GT find out what the reseller’s warranty is. Ave40 is offering a 6-month warranty on the Cloupor GT. Their official statement to me was:
“If they buy (the Cloupor GT) from us, including our wholesale orders, we will replace the defected GT without delay for 6 months for the date of purchase. All they need to do is to keep the VIP card and the number on it and take a shot clip of the problem and then we will replace it with a new one.”
When purchasing new vape gear it is always a good idea to know who stands behind the product, and for how long. In the case of the Cloupor GT I’d buy it from Ave40 over any current vendor carrying Cloupor products. And, from what I see, performing a Google search it looks as though Cloupor is sold by vendors like Gearbest, Broke Vapers, Vaping Cheap, and of course Ave40. Neither MyVaporStore nor Vapor Authority carries Cloupor products.
The Cloupor GT features a long list of capabilities… some of the major features are discussed below. After we go over some of these important features we’ll move on to the Real World Usage Report. I’ve only had it for a week, but I’ve used it some every day. Tom McBride, my co-reviewer, used his a lot more than I used mine, so he probably has a better sense of the device.
Features – Auto-Smart Temperature Control
Cloupor’s biggest new feature is their Smart Temperature Control. Putting in the simplest of terms this new TC mode reads the ohms of the coils installed in the atomizer and sets the Joules automatically, based on what the ohms are of the atomizer coils. If you want to adjust temps manually you can (hold the fire and up button at the same time for 5 seconds and adjust), and you should keep that in mind if you find the auto-smart feature doesn’t get it exactly right due to a very thick e liquid, or some other factor that can throw off the electronics.
Also keep in mind that you’ll need to use an atomizer that uses ni200 (Nickel) wire to take advantage of the temperature 
control, or ‘temperature limiting’ feature.
Features – Other
The Cloupor GT fires up to 80W and supports resistance levels all the way down to 0.1ohms. You’ll need nickel wire coils to use the temperature control feature, but otherwise Kanthal works just fine with any tank or RDA.
No USB Port – The Cloupor GT does not have any type of charging port or pass-through ability. The only way to keep the vaporizer vaping is to change out both batteries. I don’t consider that an issue for myself because I never recharge replaceable batteries while they sit in the vaporizer anyway. This way of charging takes far longer than using something like a Nitecore charger, or some other high-end charger, and charging up a few 18650’s.
Floating Pin – Officially, Cloupor GT’s 510-Pin is supposed to be a bit different than most other Pins because the spring-loaded Pin is said to be a hexagonal shaped Pin, and that’s supposed to provide a better connection than a round pin. I don’t know where I stand on that though, it seems to me that the shape, round or hexagonal, wouldn’t make any difference, but who knows, it might. (I’m no electrical engineer). That said I used several tanks in the past 7 days, as did Tom, and every one we used fit flush and got a solid connection.
But the biggest surprise? In both Cloupor GT’s we received for review the floating pin is round, not hexagonally shaped. Oops!
The Real World Experience
The features and specs tell you a lot about a product, but certainly not everything. In order to fully understand a vaporizer or a tank you have to spend time with it, use it, fiddle with it, and push it around. Most electronic capabilities for any product take place on a small board or a chip, but that doesn’t tell you anything about how it will fare in the real world, or its attractiveness, functionality, or durability.
Tom and I will offer separate testimony to our real world experience over the past week. Tom and I understand that a week of using any product tells us nothing about durability or longevity of a product, but hopefully it can tell you enough so that a potential customer can cross it off their list or continue to seek out more information as some time passes. Tom is planning on using it everyday for the foreseeable future and should anything be gleaned from his continued use we will update this review and promote it through Social Media.
John’s Real World Use – July 21st – July 28th 2015
I like the size of the Cloupor GT and I like the rounded corners. It fits well in my hand, and works as advertised. The Auto Temperature Mode works fine with 50:50 e liquids, and with High VG e liquid is just shy of being able to find my preferred temperature. Switching to manual temperature mode solved any issues I might have had with my super thick e juice.
I found that I am not all that crazy about temperature mode these days, not in any device. I find having to switch out to a nickel wire or titanium wire (depending on the vaporizer), is just a little more hassle than I want for the added ability to prevent a dry hit or to warm up my vapor. I was impressed with the technology a couple of months ago, but now…not so much. That being the case I used regular coil heads most of the time.
The one thing I did notice about the Cloupor GT is that watt for watt it runs just a little hotter than the DNA40 devices I have, including the Johnson Creek Vea Elite, Vaporshark, Vapor Flask, and the HCigar VT40 (my next review). Finding the optimal vaping wattage for all the DNA40 mods to be 32w for a Kanger Subtank equipped with the 0.5-ohm OCC (newest), and filled with ‘I Love Donuts’ e liquid, I found the same 32w setting on the Cloupor GT to run a little hot for an optimal vape. I had to back off the wattage to 29.5-watts. This is not a criticism… it’s just how the Evolv board works when going up to a Cloupor product.
Considering the cost of a Cloupor GT ($42-48) I believe it is a great device for some people, and a horrible one for others. If
you want all the latest bells and whistles for your next vaporizer but you want it on the cheap then the Cloupor GT is a solid choice. Performance was good, battery life was really good, and for the most part the GT feels like a quality device. The only missteps are the loose battery cover and the apparent lack of venting for the batteries. I’m also a little confused about why they wanted to stick a plastic VIP card under the shrink-wrap and then not offer any information about the warranty.
Tom’s Real World Usage Report – July 22nd – July 26th 2015
I like value, and when I can find a deal where the value is so much more than the cost I am a happy guy. Today, after almost a week with the Cloupor GT I can honestly say that the guys at Cloupor deserve all the praise they can muster for putting out a device that is original to Cloupor, packed with the latest features, including temp control, and getting it into the hands of vapers for under $50. Can it compare with the more expensive Temp Control devices? No, of course not. The Cloupor GT is a simple, unobtrusive device, and it doesn’t have the style, ruggedness, or sophistication of an eVic-VT, or a Vea Elite or a Vaporshark, or my favorite, the HCigar VT40. But for less than fifty bucks it’s good buy.
My Cloupor GT is the black model. Although some vent holes would be nice I haven’t experienced any undue warmth coming off my device even after some heavy vaping periods. It feels good in my hand, the wide range of wattage fits any scenario easily, and the low resistance capabilities are on par with many more expensive devices on the market. John mentioned a loose battery cover on his Cloupor GT, but for me, I haven’t experienced it. If the magnets used to secure the cover aren’t pulling in as hard on John’s GT that would explain the easy resistance to John’s thumb pushing down on the cover plate.
During the time period for this review I used primarily two tanks that offer ni200 coil heads, Kanger Subtanks and the Horizon Arctic. The Temp Control feature is what I wanted to focus on the most, because I knew John didn’t want to.
I used a 50:50 e liquid during the testing of the temperature control feature. The Auto Temp Control worked well, choose and go, and you’re vaping with a nice satisfying flavor and vapor. Using it in manual mode you can move through 200-600F, and I found the best temp for my 50:50 e juice right at 470-480, while moving to High VG toward the end of the review period I could take it right up to 560-580 and maintain a nice warmth.
The bottom line for me is comparing what you get with this $60 device and various $150-$199 devices and it seems that the differences are always in the quality of the electronics, the board or chipset, the materials used to make them, or the packaging, and aesthetics, and if they matter to you like they matter to me, then maybe the Cloupor GT isn’t something you’ll want to pick up anytime soon. But if you are vaping on a budget and want to get into subohm vaping and temperature control you won’t find a decent device for less than a Cloupor GT.
Remember, to get your Cloupor GT from Ave40 for $49.99 use the coupon code SPINFUEL10 during checkout, and you get free shipping too!
Recommendation: For Budget Vapers
John Manzione / Tom McBride
